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Saudi Crown Prince, Macron to work to ‘ease effects’ of Ukraine war
The French presidency said on Friday (July 29) that French President Emmanuel Macron and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman agreed to work “to ease the effects” of the war in Ukraine during talks in Paris.
A statement said: “The President and the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia underlined the need to bring an end to this conflict and intensify their cooperation to ease the effects in Europe, the Middle East and the wider world.”
The statement made no explicit reference to oil or gas, but said Macron had “underlined the importance of continuing the ongoing coordination with Saudi Arabia with regards to the diversification of energy supplies for European countries,” the Alarabiya English reported, citing the AFP.
With Russian oil and gas supplies either unavailable to EU nations due to sanctions or being withheld by Moscow, European countries are desperately seeking alternative sources of fossil fuels.
Saudi Arabia is one of few countries worldwide with the capacity to increase its output, according to the report.
The French statement said that Macron and the Saudi Crown Prince had also discussed food security amid fears of famines caused by the loss of Ukrainian grain.
Talks over dinner by the two leaders covered regional crises including the war in Yemen and Iran’s nuclear program.
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The statement said: “With regards to the war in Yemen, the president commended the efforts by Saudi Arabia to find a political, global and inclusive solution under the aegis of the United Nations and expressed his hope that the truce continues.”
Yemen has been gripped by conflict since the Iran-backed Houthis took control of the capital Sanaa in 2014, triggering a military intervention by the Arab Coalition in support of the internationally recognized government the following year.
Source: alarabiyaenglish
